The Empire
by Alice2mr
Summary: Violence, power and eroticism. The Roman Empire is strong and prosperous. The one of the best gladiators met a slave who's meant to kill, but it seems like their fate connected in an inexplicable way.
1. Chapter I Crossed Lines

**_Crossed Lines_ **

The arena was frantic with joy. Half naked men and lightly dressed women were shouting and screaming with all of their hearts. In the middle above, in the shadow of the stand the senator with his family slowly took their seats, as the invited politicians. There was a strained atmosphere because of the excitement, and the crowd was tensed with expectancy. A new exciting game is going to begin soon. But not everybody wanted to play.

The guard who lead the slaves stopped the chained people. The thin man behind Juvia tripped and fell on the girl but she just stood keeping her head down and tried not lose her balance. Under the coliseum, "behind the scenes" it was dark, the smell of sweat and blood was pervaded the damp walls. Juvia could feel in her mouth the metallic taste and the bare violence, which was poured from this place, got under her skin. _The smell of death_ , thought the girl. She heard a sobbing voice behind her when the guards shouted and pushed them violently to the fusty aired narrow corridor.

She hasn't already trembled or cried. She was waiting for her destiny with quiet patience. In other words; to the end of her life.

She could not even know how she had escaped from death. That why didn't she die of starvation when she became an orphan. That why didn't she die on the ship, which in she was taken here, in some kind of illness. That why didn't the slave owner whipped her to death when he had a chance. She didn't know why, but she didn't resist. She was too scared to be a suicide. She believed in her fate. However, she prayed to the gods in secret to let her free from the worldly life's misery, she wouldn't have run voluntarily into her death.

She heard the senator's strong and commanding voice which was echoed the whole amphitheatre.

"People of Capua! The time has come to see how strong the gladiators of the Roman Empire are!" The people howled together with joy at the same time.

"Viva la Roma!" So the game began.

She couldn't listen more because they were pushed again and shouts were heard.

As the time passed she felt more and more her legs trembling, she knew there is no way back. The heavy iron shackle was cut her swollen leg. She clenched her mouth. She carefully turned over her head so she could look round. She was surrounded by mould covered leaked walls. The girl's glance went higher and she could see as the water drops falling down and land in a puddle. As she gazed the puddle she notice that wasn't water, it was _blood_. And not a blood of a roman. The girl felt like she is going to vomit, so she quickly turned down her head and stayed that way motionless.

Then a voice was heard.

"Get the hell out of here, dirty salves! Your time is come!" And the guards slowly pulled up the heavy and rusty grid.

Then Juvia saw light. And she heard more than one thousand people's voice. Howls, screams and shouts. But those were not similar to the voices she heard under the arena. These voices were full of excitement and cheerful, blood-commanding voices.

She already got use to the semidarkness and when they stepped out she was blinded by the deceptive and promising light of the sun. The arena's air was fresher but humid.

The sun was slowly covered by clouds. Juvia also could feel something else. The smell of blood and sand.

They were shepherd to the middle of the arena while the people shouted to them. After all they were nobody. A bunch of garbage. Meat for the lions.

"It wouldn't be much pleasure if the gladiators were in superiority…" the people laughed loudly. "Therefore some of the slaves will get a sword! Let the game begin!" the senator finished and Juvia didn't dare to look. She just stood turning down her head. But when she heard the clank of chains she turned her head to that way with the other people. Some of the slaves stepped before them so they could protect the weaker ones in their last moments, others crept backwards.

"Now, welcome to the arena our best three gladiators. Laxus! Natsu! And Gray!" The crowd rejoiced at the happiness. Juvia's ears were buzzing, the blood was pulsed in her head, and her heart was thumbing faster and faster. She hasn't already heard the spectators' screams, the voices became a monotonous murmur.

She didn't even notice that the three gladiators stepped into the arena. Their faces were covered by a helmet, it was very hard to make a distinction between them; just their crest's colors were different. One of them had black, the other's had red, and the third one had _dark_ _blue_ plumes in the top of their helmets. They slowly surround them from three sides. There wasn't a way out. The spectators screamed, the salves waited quietly.

Then a determined shout was heard and one of the slaves attacked the black crested gladiator. In that moment when he tried to use his sword the gladiator stabbed his spear to the man's chest. He fell lifelessly to the arena's ground. With this, the fight got started.

Less and less people stayed alive and Juvia got to closer and closer to the fight which she had to do for her life. Suddenly a girl next to her grabbed her arm desperately.

"Please, help me!" she whispered huskily. Juvia tighten her hand and they tried to disappear in the slaves' crowd.

However there were more slaves at the start, as the time passed, more and more body fell into the sand. Juvia was pushed and somebody fell onto her. She screamed but her voice disappeared in the loud noise. Her hand was wrested from the girl's hand. Juvia clutch after her in horror but she hasn't already reached her, because the body pulled her down to the ground. That was the last time she saw the girl.

Right next to her, one of the armed slaves was fighting with the red plumed gladiator. Juvia tried to stay away from them and get away. But when she heard the painful shout as the man let out his last breath, she collected her all strength and pushed off the body from herself and jumped up. Nevertheless, because of the big swing she fell on a strong back and she landed in the sand again. It was the _dark blue_ plumed gladiator.

She was trembling in fear when he turned towards her with raised sword. She couldn't see behind his helmet because of their distance. The girl crept further and further and when she has already thought that the gladiator kill her, one of the slaves attacked him from behind. He leant forward and continued the fight elsewhere. The black crested gladiator pulled out of his spear from a slave at that moment.

In front of the girl, a man became unarmed and when Juvia saw a sword in the ground she run to grab it and threw it to the man. But suddenly the dark blue plumed gladiator kicked out the sword of his hand. The girl only noticed in that moment that there aren't any live slaves except her in the arena.

Only Juvia and the _blue_ plumped gladiator stayed on their feet. The gladiator took off his helmet and threw it to the sand. The girl saw his messy coal black hair, his emotionless stare. Sand and blood mixed with the sweat on his muscular body and made a way down to his toned abdomen.

Suddenly their glances met. The girl fell down to her knees without a word. She knew it's over.

The senator stood up in the stand and raised his hand. The gladiator looked up and waited for his decision. The rain carefully, so nobody could notice it, started to drizzle. Sinister grayness spread over the arena. The senator slowly raised his thumb. The people started grumbling. The senator looked to Juvia whose face was covered by blood. Then he turned down his stretched thumb. The crowd murmured. The command was unambiguous.

The girl still on her knees, eyes locked to the gladiator's grey ones. The man raised his blooded sword to her neck but the girl didn't move. She didn't beg for her life. She only closed her hands into fits so it couldn't were seen that they're trembling. Her heart pounded in her ribcage like it thought that he could escape from the deathly hit. That he didn't have to atrophy in this young, short-lived body.

The man raised his muscular arms to kill her. They glance met again and she saw the grey clouds reflected in his eyes. For one second she read some sorry for her from a glint of his glance. She thought it is a miracle to die starring into these eyes after all.

The man's muscles tensed, the girl's relaxed. The man's eyes stuck to her neck, the girl's eyes closed. And then, in that time finally…

"STOP" a feminine voice was heard and the gladiator's hand stopped in the air. Then he raised his glance to the stand.

X

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Gosh, I wanted to write this story for soo long! I hope you'll like this roman, spartacus-like thing, because I really love this topic.

By the way the three gladiators' plumes were the same color as their guild marks in Fairy Tail. So the black one was Laxus, Natsu the red and the dark blue was Gray. Yeah. I know you've found out. ;)


	2. Chapter II Different Paths

_**Different paths**_

The senator's daughter stood up and put her hand on her father's shoulder.

'Father, please' she said and when she saw his questioning look she quickly turned to him and whispered something to his ear. The conversation was continued and only the father and daughter's gesticulations were seen.

"All right" said the senator. "All right!" he repeated louder. "Today an exceptional kindness is given to this _slave_!" the gladiator finally let down his arm. "I give this slave to my daughter, who needs a faithful servant by her side. The gods gave you mercy, slave! Go and do your tasks willingly" motioned the balding man then he turned to the people who cheered hearing this big grace.

Juvia hardly believed to her ears. She didn't even realize what the senator said. But if she had heard that she wouldn't have moved either. As if her legs made by stone, her limbs felt like quintal weight.

"Get up, you were given mercy!" The black haired gladiator said quietly to the girl who slowly looked up from her dizziness. When she saw the man her breath was caught. He stood above her and looked down at her. He was still as handsome as he has looked before.

"Let's go, do you want to be executed? Use your legs" he murmured to the girl but when he saw the girl's shock he leaned down and took her into his arms. Juvia leaned her head to the crook of his neck.

She didn't speak for a long time; only tried to understand what was just happened. She was completely ready to her death, and it wasn't a question in her mind that she had to be killed.

The black haired gladiator felt on his arms that the girl still trembling. He carried her with such care like she would crashes in any moment. And that wasn't far from the truth. She felt her body stone-hard and made of liquid at the same time.

She slowly understood that she isn't going to die. Yet. But the hope was given her enough strength to speak.

"Thank…you" She said finally. Her throat felt like a drawn well.

He didn't say a word and it seemed like he didn't hear the girl. However, the truth was that he didn't feel like answering. She just escaped from death, but not because of he saved her or something. But somehow he felt like the girl see him some kind of demigod.

When they arrived again to the fusty corridor Juvia looked round carefully. Around them everybody was doing their tasks and didn't pay attention to them.

„Can you stand?" asked the gladiator and she nodded. The girl tripped a little but the gladiator clasp her waist immediately.

"Carefully" he said and the girl sighed. For the time being, everything's all right. She has to calm down and pull herself together.

"If only you could stay with me…" she whispered quietly then the gladiator looked into her eyes.

"The _Domina_ is gracious. You're safe by her side." Then he stepped back from the girl, looked to the servant who was approaching them.

"The Domina wish to see _immediately_ her new servant in her room. From now, on you have to follow every command of her" said the servant man and the girl nodded carefully. She threw one last look to the gladiator who's accepting the congratulations of one of the gladiators at that time.

She followed the man and she didn't see that the black haired gladiator took a second glance at her before she disappeared in the slaves' and guards' crowd.

As they headed up on the muddy stairs Juvia felt the nervousness coming back more and more. The fusty smell was replaced by a much more pleasing scent. Everything became nicer and brighter around her. However, she barely noticed the difference turning down her head. She barely dared to look up.

In the hall, the celebration of the Games has already started, eroticism poured from the whole place. All around women only covered by jewellery, wiggling slowly to the rhythm of the dazing music. Politicians and their teenage sons were watching them with pleasure. Tons of sweets and tiny delicacies on the tables. Giggling and chatting crowd. Wealth and luxury. The place was gone over by lust and perversion but it had a dazing effect that attracted the girl's glance. The whole thing was entrancing.

A hard jerk pulled out the girl from her thoughts. The servant man pushed her significantly. She almost forgot that she wasn't here to gawking around. Actually she has nothing to do with this place. She was subordinated to this people. It would be better if she hurried up and didn't draw their attention to herself.

They arrived to a room, much more quiet and illuminated by tiny candles. In the middle, the hide of nearly transparent curtains, there was a beautiful young woman lying on a sofa on her side. Her long scarlet hair was falling down naturally to her shoulders. She was wearing a crimson dress, made from something shiny and light material which Juvia has never seen in her life before. The scarlet haired woman's figure was perfect, her long dress barely hide her shapely thighs.

"Domina, _this_ is the servant you wish to serve you. I brought her to you as fast as I could." said the servant with such respect that made Juvia turn down her head.

"I see. You can leave now. From now on she belongs only to me and equal with the other servants at my household. "The Domina's voice was serious but calming. From the very first moment, the woman was like a goddess to Juvia. Regarding to the Domina's statement, she is now her mistress, the only one who can make orders to her. She couldn't imagine how this all happened. In that time, she didn't know yet what is waiting for her...

After the servant left them alone, her mistress rose from her position.

"What is your name and how old are you, my servant?" The Domina looked at Juvia with her deep brown eyes. It was so unbelievable to the girl that this fallen goddess is talking to her and waiting for her answer, that a single word couldn't left her mouth. Her throat felt dry and her hands were shaking.

"There is no reason to be scared. I can see you believe in the grace of Gods. You have given special mercy, you are special too. Be grateful and do the duties which were imposed on you." said her mistress and a small smile appeared on her lips. She commanded but with a voice that give the girl strength and courage.

"Juvia. Juvia from Oceania, Domina. I am about seventeen years old, Domina." Her voice shook but she looked up. In that time a servant girl put a grape into the mistress's mouth.

"I see. So Juvia, from this day, you become one of my closest servant ladies who are always with me and do everything to serve my demands." She waved to the two servant women who had been standing behind her.

"However" she raised her voice "first of all, you have to _look_ like as my servants here." The Domina watched the girl severely. She only realised that time how she looks like. The ordeals made her forget that her whole body covered by blood and mud. Once her long hair was now ended a little higher than her shoulders shortly and messily. Her muddy sackcloth dress was hanging torn on her bloody and grazed legs. While she was looking down at herself the Domina noticed her despair.

"We can help that easily and you don't need to be ashamed. In my household there is no place to dirt." The mistress's words were harsh but the girl didn't expect else. She could only believe in the Domina's mercy. And in the God's...

In the following days, Juvia felt like she is leaving a completely different people's life. After her servant mates washed her all over and she got clean clothes, she served the Domina day after day. It was one of her task to helping her bathing, eating and some days she could see the gladiators' training too from the balcony when the Domina wished to see them.

In that time, Juvia had a chance to see the black haired gladiator, called Gray. She heard his name so many times; she couldn't count on her fingers. He was an eighteen years old roman who became a gladiator voluntarily. She couldn't imagine why a free roman man would want to be a gladiator, like a slave. But she thought he has to have a reason and nobody knew about his real story. He was young, very talented and mysterious so the Dominus – Juvia heard when the Domina said – believed that he's going to make a lot of gold to the gladiatorial school.

After he left her under the arena, she felt him further from her than anybody. But an unexpected encounter in the city was ended the silence between them.

She hurried along a side street, doing her daily duties when she saw a tall gladiator from the arena. He just came out from a place where the men always spent their time with women (mostly wifeless but sometimes married men too), but Juvia never wanted to really know what is happening behind the dirty walls.

When he noticed the girl, instead of go round her, he stepped closer to her and didn't let her go onwards. Her heart beating became faster, her hands started to shake. She didn't know what to do, just look frightened.

"What are you looking, you filthy _slave_?" He watched the girl's short hair, baggy dress and bony legs.

"Are you deaf or dumb?" He raised his hand to a hit and the girl started to pull away but the hit never reach her because a strong arm stop the gladiator's one. As the girl opened her eyes she saw a muscular body, coal black hair and steely glooming glance which stared at the aggressive gladiator. Her heart jumped in happiness.

"Leave her alone, Bora" He was speaking quietly but every word was completely clear.

"And who are you making me orders?" stepped closer the man to the black haired gladiator with straightened muscles.

"The one who's gonna beat the crap out of you if you try to touch her again." Gray moved closer too and they stood motionless against each other for a few seconds. The air filled with rage, violence and the promise that this wasn't the last time. It was one second when Juvia thought that Bora is going to hit Gray but he turned over and walked back to the house. When the gladiator disappeared, Juvia finally could breathe again. She looked at Gray who still looked to the gladiator's direction frowning.

"Thank you. Again" she said softly. She felt so much gratitude for him...

The gladiator like he forgot that she is with him turned to her with a surprised look.

"You shouldn't go near these places. The men could think that you are a..." Their glances met and he didn't finish the sentence, it looked like he is embarrassed a little bit. The girl understood immediately what he was trying to say.

"I can't always be there to save you."He added looking into her eyes.

"I...I'll be careful from now on" she said looking down so that he couldn't saw her blush.

He just simply nodded and slowly walked away. The girl watched his back for a few seconds then she started to go on her way too, but she suddenly heard the black haired gladiator's voice. When she turned back she saw him approaching her until he stood next to her.

"I take you home." He said simply and she nodded with a small smile which wasn't seemed as warm and bright as the feeling in her heart.

From that day, she didn't just stare at him from distance. When they met he actually talked to her. He was kind and serious at the same time and she couldn't stop thinking about him as her hero. Who saved her life and protected her. Because of him, she felt more like a human than ever before. But then one day, suddenly things got changed.

"We're going home to Rome! I am so blessed that I got to see my husband again! I haven't seen him for ages. Pack up everything!" waved the Domina to Juvia and the other servant ladies. She was delighted and full of joy. The servant ladies looked at each other. Every one of them seemed to be surprised and their glances reflected concern.

"How long... are we going to stay, Domina? How many dresses do I have to pack?" The blonde haired servant woman was the bravest from the three of them.

"Everything, everything! " The mistress shouted cheerfully. "I don't think we are going to come back soon..." She said and hurried out of her room. Juvia throat suddenly felt dry. She was now as scared as in the arena months ago. She's going to leave this place and really live as a servant of the senator's daughter. She's going to go Rome with her mistress. The Gods are going to change her life fully.

And she's going to forget forever who she really is or _was_ once upon a time.

X


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